Stewardship
The Traprock Ridge Land Conservancy (TRLC) is a responsible steward of the lands it owns, forever ensuring that these lands are protected, and conservation values are enhanced. It’s through consistent, capable, and ongoing stewardship that we truly conserve our lands.
Our property stewards are the eyes and ears of TRLC, monitoring our properties and acting as local contacts regarding each property. Our commitment to land preservation relies on volunteer stewards tracking the status and condition of the lands we protect. Therefore, our stewards:
- Document the condition of lands by completing a baseline property report
- Monitor the condition of the property regularly and submit reports
- Maintain accurate records regarding each property and easement overseen by TRLC
- Participate in work parties to eradicate invasive plant species, keep trails clear, build bog bridges, or build new trails
We invite you to join one of our work parties and contribute your skills to improve and enhance our preserves.
If you would like to become a land trust steward or join a work party, please contact TRLC and we will answer your questions. To find out more please email conservation@trlandconservancy.org.
Meet Land Steward Chris Feely
Wojan Woods, West Hartford
Chris Feely digging in at Wojan Woods in the fall of 2023.
Land stewards are at the heart of TRLC’s success. They’re the dedicated people who manage, protect and care for our properties. For Wojan Woods, that person is Chris Feely.
A long-time gardener, Chris took up environmental advocacy when she moved to West Hartford from St. Louis, Missouri eight years ago. She is a member of the West Hartford Garden Club and active with related organizations in the region, including West Hartford’s Sustainability Commission.
In 2023, when TRLC called for a local resident to steward Wojan Woods, Chris immediately stepped forward. It’s a way she can make a big difference close to home.
“I can walk to Wojan Woods from my house and my daughter and her family live in the neighborhood,” she said.
Chris has put 20–30+ hours into stewardship each month, working with arborists and volunteer groups and personally digging in. The most demanding task, she said, was clearing out the trash. She and her many helpers removed carpeting, household debris and other “stuff” that had been dumped on the site and accumulated over the years.
Then they tackled the invasive plants.
“We cut invasives down to the ground and dig up the roots where possible without using herbicides in any form,” Chris said. “This helps protect the environment and control things over time. It’s time-consuming but satisfying — and it opens up the space.”
After one year of Chris’ stewardship, the 2.75 parcel has an entirely different aesthetic. A new walking path runs along the stream that borders the property. Newly planted native trees, bushes and shade plants, including witch hazel, viburnum and elderberry, grace the space with diversity and natural beauty.
“As they get bigger and bear nuts and berries, they will be a great draw for wildlife,” Chris said, “especially birds as well as rabbits, squirrels, fox, voles and others. Wojan Woods has such wildlife potential.”
Chris is committed to restoring that potential — at Wojan Woods and anywhere else she can help bring renewed balance to the natural environment. Thank you, Chris!
Sander Hamilton
Property Steward, Ian Clark Preserve, East Granby
Sander wheelbarrowing mulch to damp areas of the trails
Since 2009, Sander Hamilton and his family have lived in East Granby, adjacent to the TRLC Griffin Marsh property. Sander learned about the East Granby Land Trust from working with our President Amanda Thompson on Boy Scout projects on land conservancy property.
Sander originally began stewarding the 12-acre Griffin Marsh property, which includes a mostly overgrown pond fringed by trees and an adjacent two-acre field. Sander and his two sons spent three years caring for this property. But beaver occupancy caused extensive flooding of many trail areas, lessening the opportunities for trail work and other stewardship activities.
A year ago, Sander moved on to become the steward of the 13-acre Ian Clark Preserve, which includes a half-mile story trail for kids. The East Granby Library puts up two storybooks each year to help build children’s interest in reading and healthy outdoor activity for families. The trail has many visitors.
The property is mostly wooded with a field area and some clearings. There are lots of stewardship opportunities here, primarily keeping the story trail cleared of encroaching plants and fallen trees. Sander usually uses a battery-powered weed whacker. The property is crisscrossed by streams and bog areas, so much of the trail is built on raised wooden planks called bog bridges. These are repaired in the winter when the area is frozen. For bigger stewardship tasks, work parties are planned and scheduled. Sander oversees groups of volunteers who remove invasive plants (Asian Bittersweet, Multiflora Rose and Japanese Barberry) and wheelbarrow mulch all along the pathways to keep the trail dry.
Asked what he enjoys most about doing property stewardship work, Sander says he likes being outside and knowing that by keeping the path open, it can be enjoyed by the many young children who visit the property. His motto is “do something.”